Real Estate, Home Buyers Bear Brunt Of Baltimore City Hall Ransomware Attack
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — While Baltimore City stays locked in a cyber battle with hackers, real estate businesses and home buyers are seemingly most affected by the ransomware attack.
The businesses are locked out of databases they rely on to close real estate deals.
"In Baltimore City, you can't really close a real estate transaction, whether it's a $1,000 shell of a row house to a $50 million office building, without the ability to search title, without the ability to get water bills and without the ability to get lien certificates. We don't have the ability to get any of those right now," said Bob Flynn, an attorney with Title Co.
With sales on the line and closings in limbo, all eyes are on City Hall where there is a constant push to get Baltimore back online.
However, which systems will be restored first and when is still a mystery.
But City Solicitor Andre Davis said there is a focus on restoring access to the information that is essential for homebuyers.
"This is an example of all hands on deck, trying to address specific issues that are important to the city and people that want to buy a house in the city, are very important to us," Davis said.
Flynn said if someone were to buy a house by Wednesday, because of the closing time, there is a good chance they wouldn't be impacted at all. He said this incident is not a reason to shy away from buying in Baltimore.